Education is identified as a growth driver for Sri Lanka. To this end, the Country Head – Sri Lanka & the Maldives of Cambridge University Press & Assessment Zahara Ansary believes that while the country is in a place of hope, more needs to be done to reach the education sector’s true potential.

“We’re in a good space because a lot of effort was put into the education sphere – especially higher and school education – during the post-pandemic and crisis periods. However, I believe we have a long way to go,” she said, during a LMDtv interview not long ago.

Ansary explained: “Many organisations invest a lot to ensure that education is digitised and digital accessibility is made available. Yet, as a country, we have a digital divide, so access is not necessarily available across the board. Even in curriculum adjustments, most organisations have looked at enabling the right type of education that focusses on digital literacy, which is key to surviving in the current world.”

According to her, another focal point is the holistic development of students. She noted that “many students now move onto fast track routes, which are more flexible because when the GCE A-Level exams were delayed, several other options came up – such as foundation exams.”

“However, I don’t believe this should be the way forward because a student’s holistic development takes place during the 12 or 13 years they spend in school.”

Ansary continued: “It’s not only the education element that counts. For instance, there are also many opportunities to engage in extracurricular activities. All these factors help mould students for the future.”

On a positive note, she feels that Sri Lanka is doing well in adopting global education trends: “Quite a lot of things are changing globally, and Sri Lanka is not far behind because we have many professional and educational organisations here.”

She said that one trend that Sri Lanka is adopting well is the digital transformation of learning delivery.

Ansary noted: “Hybrid learning is in; and we’ve got it here. On the other hand, most of our education institutes are also going back to full physical mode, which is both good and bad – because once you get onto the tech platform, you have to go with it rather than go back.”

Yet, which method works best is still up for debate. She elaborated: “Sweden has decided to move away from digital and head back to physical. So research is now being done to determine the best fit.”

In addition to digital, there are many interdisciplinary programmes that education providers are focussing on, she observed: “Students should have a variety of skills because the ultimate need is employability and helping people to help the world. A focus is being built on what skills are needed by working professionals, and they’re being added to education curricula.”

Ansary explained: “Twenty-first century skills such as collaboration and communication are extremely critical – they are now being built into curriculums. There’s also a focus on the globalisation of education so that it shouldn’t be necessary for students to travel overseas to study.”

She continued: “It will be more economical to be based here in Sri Lanka and yet, able to learn global content. For instance, environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues are important, and we don’t need to wait until students enter the workforce to learn this. Many universities are focussing on ESG and sustainability now.”

“Lifelong learning is also another very important element that almost all schools and universities are prioritising today. It’s not about what you learned yesterday because what got you to where you are is not going to keep you there; nor is it going to help you move forward. The entire world is changing rapidly and you need to keep yourselves updated,” she stressed.

Ansary concluded: “Education is changing and you need to get yourself in line with it.”